“THE 41 PARABLES JESUS CHRIST”
28
general parables and 13 kingdom of God parables
Parable
#16 –
“THE
WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD”
Matthew 20:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16
The
7th of the 28 general parables
In
445BC, with one Bible week equating to seven years (a prophetic
year being 360 days), God commanded that seventy weeks each of 7
years, would be determined upon Israel, that is … 70 weeks x 7
years = 490 years (Daniel 9:24-27).
This
time frame is broken into four time periods of (a) 7 weeks + (b)
62 weeks + (c) the mystery church age of about 2,000 years +
(d) 1 week = 70 weeks and is explained as follows:
#1. Seven
weeks of years is 7 x 7 = 49 years … the time it takes to restore
and build Jerusalem from 445BC to 396BC.
#2. Sixty
two weeks of years is 62 x 7 = 434 years … the time from the
building of Jerusalem in 396BC to Christ being cut off at the cross in 32AD.
#3. The
church age of approximately 2,000 years
#4. One
week of years is 1 x 7 = 7 years … this is the seven years of
tribulation of God’s wrath upon the earth, that takes place after the rapture …
called Daniel’s 70th week.
Matthew 20:1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16
v1 For the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out
early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. v2 And when he had agreed with the labourers
for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. v3 And
he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the
marketplace, v4 And said unto them; Go
ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they
went their way. v5 Again he went out
about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. v6 And about the eleventh hour he
went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye
here all the day idle? v7 They say unto
him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the
vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. v8 So when even was come, the lord of the
vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire,
beginning from the last unto the first.
v9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they
received every man a penny. v10 But when the first came, they supposed that
they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. v11 And when they had received it, they
murmured against the goodman of the house, v12 Saying,
These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us,
which have borne the burden and heat of the day. v13
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? v14Take
that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. v15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will
with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? v16 So the last shall be first, and the
first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
EXPLANATION:
Israel
is jealous that Gentiles have access to salvation to Israel’s God … very,
very late in the day … at ‘five minutes to mid-night’ as the saying
goes.
kingdom of heaven = see the above diagram … Christ with his sermon on the mount
a man = God
the Father
householder =
Jesus Christ
hire labourers = men who would work under kingdom of heaven rules
into his vineyard = Israel
a penny a day = a day’s wage … today the average daily wage is
$250 to $300?
the third hour = 9am
others standing idle in the marketplace = men who would work under kingdom of heaven rules
the sixth and ninth hour = midday 12pm and 3pm in the afternoon
the eleventh hour =
5pm
even was come = 6pm the close of a day’s work
the lord of the vineyard = Christ
beginning from the last unto the first = those hired at 5pm first followed by those hired
at 6am
hired about the eleventh hour, they received every
man a penny = those hired at
5pm got the total day’s wage
the first came … received every man a penny = those hired at 6am also got the total day’s wage
they murmured = OOOOPS! Bad move fellas! See
1 Corinthians 10:10 and Exodus 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; Numbers 14:2; Numbers 14:29
and so on
them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and
heat of the day = the Jew has had
to wrestle with God and his laws for close to 1875 years, before Christ
appeared. There has been a history of blood, sweat and tears as it were, and
Gentile hasn’t had to go through all of this.
However if the Jew would continuously believe in
Jesus Christ would they get into Abraham’s bosom upon death (Luke 16:23) and
wait to be taken to heaven (Ephesians 4:8).
didst not thou agree with me for a penny = This was the Jew’s penny, that they could get to
Abraham’s bosom and then into the kingdom of God, and then into heaven. They
were jealous that the Gentile could simply turn up, and also get a penny
without the blood, sweat and tears.
but few chosen = today it is chosen in Christ not into Christ as the Calvinists
would have us believe. When you are saved, then the ‘choosing’ happens
and not before.
These last couple of points are wrongly twisted by
the Calvinist aka The Doctrines of Grace people who believe we
are chosen into Christ and not in Christ before the foundation of the
world (Ephesians 1:4).
Harley Hitchcock
October 2023
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
“THE
41 PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST”
28
general parables and 13 kingdom of God parables
Parable
#17 –
“THE
TWO SONS”
Matthew 21:28-31,32
The
8th of the 28 general parables
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com